Today in Westminster Abbey in London, Queen Elizabeth will receive an hour-long state funeral, the first to be held in the United Kingdom since the passing of her first prime minister, Winston Churchill, in 1965.
The burial will put an end to 11 days of widespread national mourning in the United Kingdom, during which the royal family’s private grief was exposed in the spotlight of intense global interest.
At the state burial, world leaders will attend alongside the British royal family, the country’s political elite, and representatives of the judicial system, military, and nonprofit sector.
Around 125 theaters in Britain will broadcast the burial, while parks, squares, and cathedrals will also set up viewing screens for the significant ceremonial event, the government announced on Saturday.
The Queen’s coffin will be transported to the funeral on the same gun carriage that was used for the funeral of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. The gun-carriage carrying her lead-lined coffin will be pulled by 142 sailors during the grand service at Westminster Abbey, which is anticipated to be watched by billions of people worldwide.
The Royal Navy and Royal Marines will line the route. The procession will proceed through Parliament Square where the Royal Marines Band will lead a Guard of Honour made up of members of the navy, army, and air force.
Scottish and Irish battalions, the Brigade of Gurkhas, and 200 musicians from the Royal Air Force will lead the parade. The royal family, including King Charles, will accompany the casket.
The inflow of dignitaries, coupled with the thousands of mourners who traveled from all around Britain and the world, presents a unique task for British police. To assist Scotland Yard, more than 2,000 officers from all over the nation have been sent in.
The heads of Russia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria, and North Korea were not invited, but the leaders of the European Union, France, Japan, and many more nations will be present.
The Queen’s coffin will be transported by royal hearse to Windsor Castle, west of London, for a committal service after the broadcast service. The queen will then be interred with her late husband, Prince Philip, her parents, and her sister in a private family burial.
Queen Elizabeth, the first British monarch to commemorate a platinum jubilee, ruled for 70 years and 214 days. She passed away at the age of 96.
